This blog shares stories and photographs about outdoor travels in the Northwest.

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Maxwell Lake, Sept. 13, 2005

I hiked to Maxwell Lake, in the Eagle Cap Wilderness, on Monday with a woman from St. Louis, Karen Mullen. I met her at the trailhead, and we climbed the four miles together. We talked and walked, until the final mile or so, when we walked and sweated and wondered if we were having fun yet, and if so why? We completed the final switchback, and the trail became arrow straight, and it shot straight up. I had to lean back to follow it with my glazed-over gaze. Yet, we made it and found fresh snow on the pass. We spent half an hour at the lake and headed back. The trip up took nearly four hours. We scooted down in an hour and a half. We shook hands, and Karen headed toward Portland for her flight home to St. Louis. I'll post a more complete story about the hike when it's completed, later this week.

About Me

Now retired, I once spent several hours each week, sometimes several days, traveling with Darlene and Nora the Schnauzer (since Sadie the Dalmatian died) in the outdoors of the Pacific Northwest, often with a fly rod and/or a backpack and always with a camera, to research columns for the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin . See photos at www.tripper.smugmug.com.